Eros sighed again. "Foolish girl," he murmured with irritation. "I understand your desperation to belong somewhere. But you haven't even been anointed yet? I understand now. The gods have sent you as a desperate ploy, thinking I wouldn't hurt a young woman." "So you think I am weak?" Karina snapped. "Typical of your kind. Just because you are one of the cardinal gods doesn't mean you are invincible. I will defeat you and prove my worth to the Court!" The immortal man shook his head. "Sweet Goddess, I appreciate the fire within you to achieve magnificent feats. However, in this case, the Court of Celestials has sent you on a suicide mission." "You're making excuses not to fight," the beauty fired back impatiently. "No. I would gladly give away my godly powers if I could. But you have no idea how tremendous and extensive they are. Your fragile body would disintegrate within seconds." "Lies! Smoke and mirrors!" Eros tilted his head with a concerned expression. "Your adventure must e

Plop! Lila's towel, the only piece of cloth around her naked body, hit the floor like a wet slap, pooling around her ankles. And there she was, my bitch of an elder sister, buck-ass naked, not three feet from where I was hiding under her bed. Obviously, I couldn't see all of her, just the calves and feet. But it didn't change the irremediable fact that Lila was in the nude! My heart slammed against my ribs like never before. I felt really weird. First of all, I had never seen female genitalia before my eyes. My best experience with unclothed women was swimsuit girls when the Osbournes went on a beach trip, and I was dragged along as a handyman servant. Dust bunnies tickled my nose, and I bit my lip hard to stifle a sneeze. This was bad. Real bad. If Lila found me, it'd be game over in the Osbourne family. Gregory would flay me alive, and Gemina would probably set the wild dogs on me. My panic and fear were suddenly countered by another feeling. It was as if my brain short-circuite

Pan tried to get up, but Marc stepped on his chest, pinning him down. “Where do you think you’re going?” “Please, let me leave,” he begged. The group exchanged glances and snickered. “Oh, you are a busybody, aren’t you? Going to hide under your brother’s shadow?” “You’re pathetic even as an Osbourne!” Jerry said with a sneer. More laughter followed. “I-“ “Shut up, bitch!” Roonie fired. “Explain why you were trying to act smart today in class!” Pan folded his hands. “I’m sorry. Professor Gergich punished me for it. I won’t do it again!” Marc took the foot off his chest, and Pan struggled to his feet. But there was no path to escape. The group surrounded him, and a couple of them spat at him. He wiped the spit off his arms. Anger welled up in him, but what could he really do? “Marc,” Mindy said. “I saw him following Jessica just now.” The Class President’s eyes flared. “What! Is that true, bitch?!” “No! She asked me to follow her.” The group broke out in laughter. “

Pan's vision had just returned to normal. He raised his eyes and saw a world that one could see only in fantasy movies. The downhill view was of an exotic land brimming with life, with such diverse and outlandish flora and fauna, that he was transfixed for an entire minute. Birds and animals of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Dancing and swaying trees. Walking seedlings. An aura of red and blue fog. Tiny creatures which looked like fairies or pixies. The more Pan looked at the world below him, the more he was convinced that he was dead. "If you are done sightseeing, I have some business to talk about," a voice interrupted his thoughts. Pan gave a start and almost fell off the edge. He snapped around and looked for the voice's source. The boy looked, and he looked again. He scanned the entire area, squinted his eyes, and waved his hands. However, he could find nobody there. "Down here!" the voice said with irritation. Pan lowered his gaze and saw a frog by the pond's e

"Amateur," Jewel whispered to Pan. "This kid thinks that Eros' responsibilities are only concerned with fornication. Clearly, the boy has not been tutored well." The talking ferret, Sebastian, looked embarrassed. "Next!" Felix announced. A rattlesnake slithered forward, and Pan almost gave out a gasp. "Hellosss. I am Fluffy. Plsss welcome my very talented candidate… Hisssss…” Pan raised his eyes to the human behind the snake. She was a petite girl who looked almost like a doll. Not taller than five foot two, she was in ponytails and wore a pink suit. Pan thought he had seen her somewhere before. "Hiiiii!" the girl chirped. "I am Jacqueline. You can call me Jackie! I come from Esther city. I want to become Eros's successor, smite everyone with love and kisses, and fill all hearts with stars and flowers." She made a victory sign for everyone. The audience applauded. Jackie was charming indeed. She could be a singing idol, perhaps. Pan found her very adorable. He could hold her